Starbucks

The barista who helped me initially was nice. My order was just a venti coffee and a pastry, so it wasn’t tricky. That’s where my good experience ended. The fixing station was filthy and not stocked. There were no napkins, the half and half was empty, and there was cinnamon and sugar all over the counter. I was waiting for 5 minutes near the pick-​up station to request water for my son, and the nearby baristas never even looked my way. One was busy chatting with a friend and telling him a long personal story over the glass partition. Another patron asked if there were any napkins. One employee said they were out and she could get some paper towels from the bathroom. She suggested they put some out for people to access. He said they did that yesterday and people took them all. Isn’t that the point? They are there for people to use. Why didn’t someone buy napkins so the store could be stocked appropriately until the regular shipment arrives? There were 6 employees working at the time I was there too, so it didn’t seem like they were understaffed. This was my worst Starbucks experience ever.

Update: Re-​open today. Looks nice. And now there are 2 bathrooms!
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I was here on Friday afternoon. Today (Monday Feb 22^nd) I found the store closed — and apparently in the process of being renovated. I wonder when it will open again. Update — I asked one of the workmen — he said in 11 days.
I’m not a huge fan of starbucks, but as starbucks go, this is a good one, in a nice location. The staff are friendly and helpful. Starbucks fare is standard starbucks fare, so if you like that then its good. Usually pretty busy.
Cons:
— Only one bathroom for a decent sized store — you very often have to wait, and then its not the cleanest. Hopefully this will be addressed with the remodel.
— Temperature is cranked down waaaay cold in the summer. I find myself having to bring a jacket in the summer, but don’t need one in the winter — thats upside-​down IMO.

One of my favorite spots. Place is kept clean. They work through the line quickly and the drinks are consistent. Pleasant staff and great set of folks that frequent the place.

Janice is awesome! (^_​^) She always makes you feel like she’ll go the extra mile to keep you happy.

i had to be in san mateo for an appt, but didn’t want to stop by the one in the downtown area since i’d have to hunt for parking, then pay for the time parked there, and likely walk a bit to the store. so i was happy to find an alternative in the crystal springs area, with a dedicated shopping center parking lot, where i was able to park right in front of the store and stroll in.
this sbux was moderately busy at 9am on a tuesday morning, but i didn’t wait more than a few minutes to place my order. after ordering, i used the single, unisex restroom around the corner, and when i came out, my order was ready and i was on my way to my appt.
customer service was friendly and the staff who helped me informed me that going forward, i could place my order online or use the starbucks app to save time and just stop in to pick it up versus ordering, then waiting. great to know for the future!
i like the layout of this starbucks as there is quite a bit of seating inside with some nice, comfy looking couches that i could see myself lounging on with a book or laptop. perhaps next time, when i’m not in a bit of a rush to get to an appt.
very convenient to the 92 and 280 freeways, and still only about a 10 minute drive to downtown san mateo.

Cute Starbucks — a bit tucked away in the plaza (we almost thought it was in the grocery store), but it’s actually a decent-​sized shop. Nice baristas, lots of seating, solid experience.

Nice, clean Starbucks. Always busy. Staff is almost always friendly. Easy parking in front of and behind building with dual access.

This is my daily starbucks and depending on which day you come in you’ll be either greeted with smiles or a bunch of mug faces. This starbucks is extremely anal when you ask for a refill which is 50 cents while you’re there. There is a girl with glasses that’s somewhat short and she always gives me a dirty look when I ask for refills. I’m being a resourceful college student so excuse me. But there are a few workers that are really nice but these rude ones just ruin this starbucks sadly.

Imagine a modern and spacious Starbucks space, with the most disinterested and lackadaisical staff. I think you’ve got the picture.
Morning lines are long and slow, drinks are handed out with no friendliness or eye contact. Lame hangs over this place like a low-​grade fever.
Avoid if you can.

I have been around to a lot of Starbucks Coffee cafes all over the bay area. I’m only going to write about this one because they don’t get my order wrong and they always remember which customer ordered food and who it belongs to. This starbucks has a system that works. I really appreciate this a lot since it’s my morning rush to work… and I rely on the efficiency and smiles that should come with the higher cost of morning coffee.
A part of this extra money I spend on coffee is to get a good jump start on my day. Thank you Starbucks Crystal Springs! All the other Starbucks in the SF Bay area should look to you as a role model.

This is my regular Starbucks. It usually isn’t crowded when I get there and they are quick at making drinks which is nice. They have a ton of seating here as well if you are wanting to have some where to work. They even have a fireplace with a seating are in front of it so it has a very home feel it to. They also have a large outdoor seating area so if you want to enjoy the gorgeous weather you easily can. Other then that I mean a Starbucks is a Starbucks.

I come here for morning brew and contemplate the universe thoroughly and along with that I consciously bring my 64 water bottle to stay hydrated and not have future kidney problems, drink your h2o young ones and reduce the waste of paper as much as possible* I also have my cute sbux mug that I purchased as to not use their cups. In the mug I tend to fill with my coconut creamer– the barista didn’t even bother to look and started pouring hot water in there and then asking «oh did you want that in here?» Its okay, it’s hot water no biggie.
Tip: Any mug you purchase from sbux ALWAYS check out the bottom to see the max ounces the mug will contain no matter the size and proportion. That being the mug I purchased contains a MAX of 12 oz which equates to a tall drink. I place couple of ounces of creamer therefore I always ask for a short coffee which is 8 oz to brim in a short cup. That means it I pay for a short coffee with a cup discount– thank you college years of being on a budget and working at sbux!
Another tip– Based on sbux policy which I have called for and validated– the customer is not to be charged for less than 4 oz of soy milk.
Seeing that the baristas don’t like that I know how to be a savvy consumer they seem to not be as happy and chipper, not my issue but the lack of positive vibes is a bummer when I just ask for coffee and water then tip you for simply pouring. Tis the holiday season, cheer up!

People are nice here, the line moves well, but parking sucks! Ending on a plus note, they are super kid friendly and they have gluten free snacks!

This is a great Starbucks for the neighborhood. They don’t try to be big and there is a very regular crowd here. The team is working together but like any other place, the lines can get a bit chaotic on a cold or hot morning. Afternoons they also try hard to make it inviting to students from CSM who come there to study. Very kid friendly and very pet friendly. Be careful though since the parking lot isn’t very big, don’t plan on staying too long. Clover selection is great but this particular location tends to run out quickly so if you spot something you might like, you should just go ahead and order it.

Stopped in here for some caffeine on my way from SFO to Cupertino.
Lots of folks hanging out here — both inside and outside.
Ordered an iced latte. Drink was strong and delicious! Just what the brain cells were crying out for!

This is hands down the best Starbucks I’ve ever been to. The staff are friendly, the parking is typically decent, and the food and drinks usually come out just as you’ve ordered them.
The biggest problem I have with this Starbucks is that the customers are rude and annoying. For example, people frequently stand in the stupidest places here. The protocol is that once you’ve ordered your drink, then you should stand or sit out of the way until the Barista calls your name. The people that pay and then immediately crowd the bar are freaking retarded; they just make my ingress & egress that much more difficult and frequently grab my order because they are too stupid and/​or impatient to know any better.
The worst is when people stand willy nilly in a place that blocks everybody. For example, people love to chat right in the doorway… seems like a great place to have a conversation! Let me guess, you aren’t too bright. Who cares that you have chosen the worst spot possible, it’s your world you gibronis… we’re just living in it! On a side note, gibroni-​ism is rampant in this area of San Mateo.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the people that are annoying indoors also tend to be the worst drivers on the road, but I’ll save that for a different day. What it boils down to is situational awareness, and the sad truth is that most folks in this shopping center just don’t have it. Also, I have been disappointed that bums have been showing up and begging for change in the parking lot… Haight/​Ashbury is that-​a-​way you degenerates. Please stay away from my person & vehicle!

This is a really nice Starbucks. Very spacious and friendly servers. The place is clean and inviting. They have a really nice and relaxing seating area. Makes you just want to hang out and read a book. Add that with a nice drink and I’m set!
I also like the additions of the new sandwiches they offer. Turning into an all in one spot. Not just for drinks but now some lunch!

I am a fan of this Starbucks in particular — to study and work. No other Starbucks.
Here are my reasons:
1. Fast Wi-​Fi — it is so hard to find a coffee shop with SEATS + PLUGS + fast WiFi in SAN MATEO/​Burlingame. Burlingame is horrible. Peet’s has no seats. Starbucks has slow WiFi unless you sit in the back corner which has 5 seats or so. And Café Barista is closed. Le Boulange doesn’t offer free WiFi.
2. Awesome service — the staff and the baristas are very friendly. There’s a sense of community amongst the customers and workers, or so it seems. I like it.
3. Plenty of parking even during high peak times (5−7pm) unlike downtown San Mateo during dinner time.
4. Enough seats indoor and outdoor and plugs.
Basically, if you can find parking relatively easy and there is enough seating and plus, good WiFi, friendly staff … then the coffee being mediocre is ok with me. :D But that’s just me ;)

I love how homey this Starbucks is. It’s decorated slightly different from other Starbucks, with some amazingly gorgeous pictures on the wall. It’s not too usually me opens later than some other starbucks hat I’ve visited.
I asked them for an odd order, the widow maker (half iced black coffee, half iced black tea). And while they didn’t know what it was, the barista was actually excited to make this. He asked me afterwards how I liked it and was genuinely happy that I liked it.
I stayed pretty much until closing time, but they never ever tried to kick me out. They were super polite and just waited until we were all ready to leave before closing shop. This is my go to Starbucks for when is ant to get work done.
I also love that they have a real fireplace that you can sit next to! Makes me feel like I’m at home. :)

OK, so I will make an exception to the rule with this particular Starbucks location. First there was the Clover machine. And now there are pastries from SF’s La Boulange bakery. These touches, combined with renovated interior, make this ‘Bucks seem part of the Bay Area landscape in ways that give it quirky character, not bottom-​line corporate commonality. The Clover brews are very good, and while they don’t quite compare with a freshly-​roasted pourover from Blue Bottle HQ on Webster St in Oakland, or a Saturday morning macciato at the Eastside Verve in Santa Cruz, they are excellent cups of coffee using small batch beans from varied growing locations. You could do so much worse. La Boulange baked goods are above average and local, so this is definitely an upgrade.
And if that weren’t bad enough, the staff here at the De Anza ‘Bucks are super nice, incredibly efficient, and energetic in a non-​hyperactive sort of way. They work very well as a team, handling busy times well and quiet times, too. The whole place is like that: people come and go non-​stop, but a lot stay, to work, read, iPad, sip coffee, or just settle into a little bit of blissful relaxation.
I can’t really complain about this combination on a recent weekday visit: three short cups of Clover-​brewed coffee from Rwanda (#1), Tanzania (#2), and a sun-​dried Ethiopian Sidamo. It was like wine tasting, but with coffee. A 10 cent discount per cup if you bring your own, and the ease of paying cashless with your Starbucks card. The music was never loud, the vibe was always chill, and the atmosphere never became disruptive, since the line moves fast and the people who come here are amazingly polite. Not a single loud cell phone conversation, nothing spilled or broken, just about 90 minutes of quality caffeinated downtime.
So, five stars for being the best Starbucks location I know of on the Peninsula. Literally. It has to be the best coffeehouse in the area, and even if it weren’t, I’d still enjoy coming here. Stars are relative concepts, but here all five have been earned and — at this particular ‘Bucks — are fully and completely justified.